The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-11-01
proceeds of good sale of cattle or a large lot

t-DSNNAH "a Ne'StaS "a
| of hay.
GRASS AND CATTLE LEAD TO PROSPERITY.
! "Our people will never be prosperous unit
they learn lesson from these men," said q
| Montgomery merchant, 'they raise cotton II
some extent, but ii is their surplus crop. When
| they gather it they do not rush to market
! with ii to meet a note, but they put it under
shed and wait for propitious time to sell
| it."
Talking with an extensive and prominent
! planter yesterday, the question was asked why
J don you raise more corn and meat and less
cotton? His answer was significant. Said he,
! "You cannot change in day the entire sys-
I tenn Of labor in the state the negroes would
/ not he content to work any other crop but cot
ton unless you hired them for wages, and VIC
have not the money to do that. The truth Of
the whole question is, our poverty drives us
back to cotton every year, and the poorer We
get the more urgent the necessity to raise cot
ton"
There was a touch Of sadness in his strong
voice and a look Of pain across his swarthy
face, as he uttered what is after all the real
truth Of the story.
1t is their poverty that keeps them poor
THE TAX ON PISTOLS AND PLoUGHs.
A few years ago the Alabama legislature i'm
posed tax upon owners of pistols, dirks,
bowie knives, etc Property of this sort is now
regularly returned for taxation, and the audi
tors report for last year shows that the value
Of taxable property of this sort as given in,
was Si29, 1891, the cities of Selma, Montgom-
cry, and Birmingham being responsible for a
good deal of it. The same year the value of
farming implements was SS7 ,5G7 What a
contrast! Almost five times the amount of
money invested in farming implements locked
up in deadly weapons! And the people Of
Alabama are not always "spilin' for fight,
either
THE FAULT IN THE TAX ASSESSING.
The state groans loudly under the abuses Of
its tax collecting system. And other states,
including Georgia, add music TO the melan-
choly melody For instance, Alabama has
32,.b5, 900 acres of land within its borders, and
yet only 2i,N66l7 are returned for taxation
True there are large tracts of government land
here, bat no estimate places it higher than 81
million acres, which leaves 800. 600 acres UNI
taxed and unaccounted for. This is an abuse
that seems impossible to get at. Nearly one
sixth Of the state paying no taxesl This is
another cause Of the high tax rate.
In 1888 Georgia had money and solvent debts
amounting TO S3i000,000, while in the same
year Alabama only returned 100000, and
the proportion is as great now, perhaps more
striking. 1t is estimated that there is in sight
IN Alabama fullyas much rs ninety millions of
property not taxed, because it is not returned,
and it seems impossible to reach it. II there
IS any consolation in the thought that she has
company in her misery, let Alabama take
heart, II she be downcast, for her sister state of
Georgia viii doubtless show similar dis
crepnnCy
4 curious fact was presented today while
compiling some statistics. There are 1920
horses, valued at S. ,597 1871 in the state, while
there are only ~ COZ mules, but they aggregate
in value $685.. 593. If there is any significance
in the statement, it would seem TO be that over
here mule is more valuable than q horse.
The amount of western meat, hay, grain and
live stock imported into Alabama, is enormous,
and there is no reason why the people should
not raise everything they consume. All that is
needed is an intelligent application of work to
the proper industry. Over in the mineral region
they are establishing pipe works, that require
large quantities of hay in molding. A gentle
man told me yesterday that he had contract to
furnish 800 tons of hay to one company, and
that on that one sale he would make more
money than his entire crop of cotton usually
Melted him And the cost Of hay to him was
virtually nothing.
The teachers of the people are recognizing
the fact that check must be placed upon cot
ton production, and the people are being per-
suaded every day. In all her other industries
the state is wonderfully active and prosperous,
and the moment the cotton crop is made the
surplus CROP that moment will mark the free
dom Of the farmer.
That it may come quickly is the earnest
wish of those who are closely watching the
progress of the south in every industry.
H. II. 2.